Darjeeling tea signs bonus pact; owners asked to shell out Rs 60 cr

With riders on normalcy restoration, which no one is sure of, including the unions; 80% of this year's revenue might be lost

After an estimated loss of Rs 400 crore this year on account of suspended operations for a little over three months, the 87 tea gardens in the Darjeeling region will have to shed a combined Rs 60 crore as bonus payment to workers, even as there are no clear signs of operations resuming in the estates.

On Friday early morning, after prolonged bargaining and and a tripartite meeting in Siliguri, the tea trade unions (TUs), the West Bengal government and the industry associations – Indian Tea Association (ITA) and Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) — reached an agreement to pay an